


Mama Justice

by Divinae



Series: Hale of a Video [9]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Talia Hale, Cora Hale & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Good Alpha Talia Hale, Intervention, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Minor Character Death, Werewolf Claudia Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27333442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Divinae/pseuds/Divinae
Summary: After an incident, Stiles believes it's time to bring Melissa into the know.
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Hale of a Video [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767682
Comments: 38
Kudos: 296





	1. Family is thicker than blood

**Author's Note:**

> Melissa demanded to have her story told.  
> Here it is...
> 
> As always, my mistakes are my own.

It had only been a week since Isaac had moved into Melissa and Scott’s home. He had a hard time with his arm in a cast. He was skittish and anxious and kept looking over his shoulder.

They weren’t surprised that Isaac had nightmares. Most of them involved his dad escaping the hospital and killing him. Most nights, either Scott or Melissa would wake up and comfort him until he fell back to sleep.

Stiles had suggested a night light and to keep the hall light turned on with his door cracked. It helped some. He was able to fall back to sleep a bit faster with the light. His new family had the patience of a saint and never made him feel bad. 

It had been Cora’s idea for the photos. 

She found photos of Isaac and his brother, even one with his brother and his mother while clearing up Issac father’s house. She had taken photos of Scott with Isaac and the Hales. The she-wolf had sneaked in shots of Melissa, Scott with Issac. She made a photo collage to put on his wall and on his favorite photos on his night stand. 

A reminder that he was surrounded by his new family, who cared and loved him. 

Melissa loved it so much, she found some baby pictures of Isaac, and hung them up on her ‘family’ wall that led up the stairs. 

He was shocked when he first saw them and blushed while avoiding eye contact when he thanked you.

Cora said he smelt joyful and happy.

The duo had been over almost daily to fret over their newest friend. Melissa had switched all her shifts so she would be home for dinner every night. She wanted her newest son to feel included and cared for. Something his father should have been doing the whole time. Sadly, not all families are supportive and full of love and care.

“Family is thicker than blood,” she commented one night as she dished out some delicious smelling ethnic dish that Claudia had sent over with Stiles. “I may not have birth you or Stiles or Cora, but as far as I’m concerned, you are my children. I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.”

It made them all smile. She was feisty and loyal to a fault. 

Isaac was still very timid but was beginning to relax. He had an appointment with Scott’s therapist the following week. Scott told his other friends, he spent hours talking to Isaac about seeking help and how he feels better about himself. 

“I hadn’t even realized how much I had pent up over dad leaving us,” Scott confided on day during lunch at school. “I know he’ll get better with time. You guys have always had my back, and I want to do that for Isaac.”

##

It was early in the morning when Melissa received a call during breakfast. It was Isaac’s first day back. 

“So, are you going to have people sign your cast,” Stiles was already doing a little drawing on it. He was putting a healing and protection rune on the underside of the cast. Small but still should work. He had practice drawing it for two nights until he was sure he had it down perfectly.

Runes was one of the many things he was self-teaching himself. He meditated one day a week at the Nemeton. There were a couple tiny saplings growing out of the stump. Alpha Hale announced she has narrowed down the candidates for their new emissary down to two. They were due for a week trial basis. 

The first one was recommended by their friend Duke, a young man named Malcom. The other was recommended by the druid council, a middle-age woman named Charlotte. 

Cora cocked her head right before Melissa gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand.

“That’s not what I was expecting,” she replied.

Cora gripped Stiles’ knee under the table and tapped him three times. 

Melissa lied. 

Now, Stiles focused on the older woman, he saw as another mother. To a regular person, she seemed put together, but to someone like Stiles, he saw the tiny ticks. She was nervous and on edge. Her shoulders were a little bit too stiff, her eyes shifted a bit too often. Her face was tight as she attempted her poker face. 

After a few one word answers, Melissa hung up the phone and turned to the young teenagers and shook her body.

She took a deep breath and came and sat down next to Isaac.

The boy swallowed. Cora scrunched her nose as the scent of fear and anxiety wafted off their newest friend.

“No, sweet boy. You are mine now. No one will change that,” Melissa rubbed his back answering the unasked question. “You’re my son now and no one will take you from me.”

Her voice was hard like steel at the end of the sentence. 

“What was the call, Mom,” Scott piped up as he shared a piece of his bacon with Piper.

Melissa made eye contact with everyone before focusing on her new son, “That was the hospital. It’s about your dad.”

Isaac jumped up and started to look around. “Did he escape? Oh my god, he's going to kill me. I knew this was too good to be true.”

“Hell no,” Cora growled. “He’d have to go through us first.”

Stiles and Scott were in agreement.

“Well, that won’t ever happen,” Melissa had a sad smile on her face as she guided Isaac back to his seat.

“You’re father… died this morning. They suspect a massive heart attack. They still need to do an autopsy to confirm it,” Melissa held onto Isaac’s good hand.

The boy deflated. “He’s gone.”

Melissa wrapped her arms around him. “I know he wasn’t the best but he was all you had left. I’m sorry.”

Cora tapped Stiles on the arm and she arched her eyebrows at him. He gave her a small nod.

“I’m sorry buddy,” Scott chimed in and Cora and Stiles added their own condolences. 

“It’s okay. He…,” Isaac blinked back tears, “I don’t know why I’m crying. He changed when Camden died.”

“It’s okay to cry,” Stiles said. “Even if it doesn’t make sense.”

Melissa asked if he wanted to skip out on school but Isaac shook his head and insisted he wanted to go.

“Okay, but if you decide you want or need to leave earlier you call me or tell Cora or Stiles, they will get you out,” she peered at them and they both agreed. 

They finished up breakfast and Melissa hugged and gave them all a kiss on the temple before ushering them out the door. Derek had dropped them off for breakfast and Laura was going to drop them off at the middle school since Melissa needed to leave for work.

##

After they walked Isaac and Scott to their classes, Cora dragged Stiles to an empty classroom as the bell first rang.

They had five minutes until the tardy bell went off.

“What,” Stiles rubbed his arm. 

“So, Melissa wasn’t surprised about the phone call. I heard her heart skip a beat,” Cora confided in her best friend.

“Yeah, she seemed… nervous,” Stiles added. 

“Do you think… she had something to do with it,” Cora chewed on her nail. 

Stiles stopped himself from answering and thought about it.

“I would want to say no.. but… this is Isaac. You know how mama bear she can be when it comes to those she considers hers,” Stiles tapped his foot and folded his arms. 

“Even when she said it was a heart attack, her heart… stuttered. Like… it wasn’t a whole truth. I’m going to call Peter. He has an in with the morgue. I want to make sure that bastard’s death is listed as natural,” Cora whispered. 

Stiles agreed. Even if he was murdered, he was asking for it for hurting his son.  
Her phone chimed with an incoming text. “I wish we could just duck out of classes, but we need to be here in case Isaac needs us.”

“I agree. Okay, call Peter and then we’ll run to class. I think we’ll be late.”

As Cora spoke to her uncle, Stiles texted Alpha. He thinks it’s time they had a talk.

##

Cora arched her brow at Stiles as he followed him into her mother’s study. Peter closed the door, giving them privacy.

Alpha was sitting behind her desk. “Stiles has called this meeting.”

Stiles thanked her and paced. Cora plopped down in one of the oversized leather chairs. 

“So, I’ve been thinking for a while. But well with Mr Lahey, it made me decide it’s time,” he stopped and faced his Alpha.

Peter walked up to his mate and placed his hand on Stiles. It instantly calmed him. 

“Have you contacted your friend in the morgue,” he asked first.

Peter nodded and squeezed the back of Stiles’ neck. It was reassuring and helped his nerves escape his body. The autopsy was scheduled the next day. 

“Good. So, I’ve been thinking… we need to bring Melissa in,” Stiles blurted out. “Like you know about werewolves and all.”

Talia clasped her hands and stared at him with a neutral face.

“Look, she’s smart and loyal. She’s a nurse which could always be helpful. Plus, if what Cora and I suspect, she…” Stiles sea-sawed his hands, “fast-tracked Mr Lahey’s death.”

Peter wrapped his arms around Stiles and hugged him from behind and whispered for him to breath and count to five.

His heart was beating triple time. 

Alpha Hale was silent for a few minutes. Cora had tossed her legs around to set them on the floor and leaned forward.

“Why do you say that,” she finally asked.

“Her heart skipped during the phone call and told Isaac about his dad having a heart attack,” Cora confused.

“And she said that family is thicker than blood,” Stiles added. 

“And you think she’d go as far as ending his life to keep Isaac safe,” the older she-wolf asked.

“Yes,” both of the young teens answered without thought.

“I think she’d do anything if it meant keeping those she loves safe,” Peter added. “I’ve seen the way her eyes turn to stone when it comes to someone talking about bad Scott. I think she'd be clever and loyal enough to do what she felt was necessary to keep her sons safe.”

Alpha Hale sat back and tapped her claw to her chin. “Okay. I trust you all.”


	2. Serious as a heart attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths are revealed.

The opportunity came up a few days later. Isaac had an appointment with the therapist and Scott offered to wait for him…

Just in case Isaac needed him.

Melissa offered to stay also, but Isaac declined.

Talia called her up when she found out and asked if she’d be able to come over to her house.

The door opened before she had time to knock. 

“Hi mama Mel,” Stiles gestured for her to come in. 

She grinned and came in, taking her shoes off to add them to the pile next to the door. She’d been there a few times but she was always in awe of how massive the house was inside.

Talia told her once that she had such a large family, she wanted to make sure she had enough room for them to come and go as they pleased. They had an entire level dedicated as guest rooms.

“Thanks for coming over,” Talia greeted her friend. She was dressed down and wearing comfortable looking black slacks and a loose light blue blouse. 

“Sure, you said on the phone you wanted to talk about Isaac,” she looked around. 

It seemed the house was nearly empty. Cora and Stiles were walking out of the kitchen with a plate full of cookies and Peter was coming down the stairwell. 

“Yes,” another feminine voice said from behind her.

“Hello Claudia, it’s good to see you,” Melissa smiled at her old friend. 

“It’s good to see you too, how are things going,” the she-wolf asked.

“A bit hectic to be honest, but it’s going well. I really appreciate you all helping clear up the Lehay’s house to put up for sale. I already told Isaac, I’m putting the money away for him for college,” Melissa responded as they walked further into the house.

The Hales were in masses but they worked together like a well-oiled machine. They had cleaned up and organized everything in the house. Isaac didn’t want to step back into his childhood home, but gave them a list of things he wanted to keep. 

“Of course, it’s what family is for,” Talia smiled as she opened the door to her study.

They all entered with Peter being last, closing and flipping the switch, which allowed others outside to know it was in use. Also, since it was soundproof, someone on the other side could type in a code to change the color inside the room.

It was Stiles’ idea a while ago and with the help of his friend Danny, they were able to have easy communication between the study and the household. 

Danny was a couple years older and best friends with Jackson. Something Cora and Stiles couldn’t comprehend. 

Danny was easygoing and a good contact to have. 

“Please, have a seat,” Taila hand waved towards the comfy leather chairs.

“This feels more like an intervention,” Melissa stated as her scent soured.

“In a way it is,” Claudia sat beside her, “I had gone through the same one back when I was so sick.”

Melissa straightened her shoulders, clasped her hands and laid them on her lap. 

“So, My Lahey had a heart attack according to the autopsy,” Peter startled her when he walked up behind her.

“Oh, yes. That’s what the doctor’s said,” Melissa glanced over her shoulder to the blue-eyed man.

“Hmm, it’s odd though…” Peter prowled around to stand in front of her. “The coroner said he was shocked because his heart seemed to be overall healthy. Wonder if something happened to cause it? What do you think?”

Cora and Stiles stayed back against the bookcases with their plate of cookies, munching on them.

“Well, hospitals can be stressful? Heart attacks happen all the time,” Melissa deflected. 

“Yes, but do you think something happened to cause the heart attack,” Talia asked as she leaned forward on her desk and rested her elbows on it.

“Many things could cause it, he wasn’t even my patient, or on my floor… So I have no idea what happened. I’m just glad the man isn’t alive anymore,” Melissa crossed her arms and glared at them. “Does it matter now? He’s gone and can’t hurt Isaac or anyone anymore.”

Peter smirked and cocked his hip against the desk. “See, I told you. She’s loyal and fierce.”

Claudia brushed her hair behind her ear. “If it was before… you know,” she waved her arms around herself, “I would have believed it without a thought.”

“I agree. The heart stutter was almost not there. Good at wording truths to make it almost believable. Reminds me of Stiles,” Peter winked at the younger boy in the back of the room.

Stiles squatted, “Who me,” he pointed to himself, “I am a perfect angel.”

Cora covered her mouth as she laughed. 

Stiles pretended to look offended.

“What do you mean, lying?” Melissa looked around at them all.

Everyone looked to Talia and the human woman shifted to face the head of the household.

“Something else is going on,” Melissa deduced how the atmosphere changed. “Talia what is going on?”

She shifted in her seat and her scent spiked as she began to panic. 

The Alpha nodded and the rest of the occupants sagged in relief. 

“Okay,” Talia took a deep breath. “What we are about to talk about is very real and serious. What we are about to tell you, you cannot tell anyone else. This means life or death to me and my family.”

Melissa rubbed her hands together and a trickle of sweat came down her temple. “Is this going to put my life in danger? My boys?”

Talia and Claudia smiled. 

“See, I agree with the kids. She will be good to be brought into the fold,” Peter walked up and stood in front of Melissa. “Truth is, you are already in the mix of it all. You’d do better if you were brought into the truth.”

“You guys sound like a cult,” Melissa answered.

“Hale cult,” Cora's voice whispered from the back.

Talia sat up and held eye contact with Melissa.

A moment of silence passed.

“We’re werewolves,” she stated. 

Melissa began to cackle and slapped her leg. “You guys, that’s so funny. Really, what’s going on?”

Talia cocked her head towards Peter.

He gave her a quick nod and shifted into his beta form. His eyes were electric blue and he towered over Melissa, and grinned with a mouthful of fangs. His claws glisten in the air as he waved near the human and roared.

Melissa screamed and stumbled as she attempted to stand up to run. Tears were coming out of her eyes, “Jesus Fuck. Please don’t kill me.”

Stiles had walked up and smacked Peter against the head and tisked him. “Bad wolf. Alpha said to show her not scare the shit out of her.”

Melissa gasped at the scene in front of her.

Peter deflated and whined. 

“Yeah yeah, I know. I still love you,” Stiles said fondly as he petted the wolf like a dog.

Peter shifted back. “I wanted her to know how dangerous we can be. She needs to know.”

“Yeah, but it’s Mama Mel.. not some asshole,” Stiles shook his head and turned to his other ‘mother.’

“I’m sorry Mel. Mom if you would please.”

Claudia nodded. “Melissa, it’s very real.”

Melissa wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve and flinched when a box of tissues was thrust in front of her. 

“Thanks Cora,” she sniffled and took the box.

“Are you telling me you all are werewolves,” Melissa eyed the door.

“Not me,” Stiles grinned. “I’m something else, but alas, that is for another time.”

“Mel,” Claudia caught her friend’s attention again. Once she got it she continued, “I was dying and I’d do anything to stay here. The doctors said I was going to die, not if but when… But Tal offered me something unbelievable.” 

Claudia let her eyes bled beta-gold and shifted her fingers into claws then back to human. “She offered me the bite. It’s not a guarantee. I could have died but at least I had a chance. I don’t regret it. I’d do it all over again. I’m still me. Just like they are still them. We just have something… extra.”

Melissa's heartbeat started to steady out as she settled back in her chair. “Why’s his eyes eerily blue?”

Talia talked about roles in a werewolf pack. A basic 101 on werewolves. Melissa calmed down after some time and began to ask questions. She learned how Stiles and Cora are training to be left-hands with Peter. Something she argued but finally agreed she could see that. They are fiercely loyal and clever and she’s glad that Scott and Isaac have them as friends. 

“Wait,” Melissa turned to Cora. “Are you the reason he hasn’t had such bad asthma attacks?”

Cora's face broke out with a huge grin, “Yes. I can scent it oncoming and I can help drain it away, so it isn’t as bad.”

“Drain,” Melissa wondered out loud.

Cora flicked out a claw as Stiles held out his arm. She sliced him and blood started to swell up and trickle down his arm. 

Then she placed her hand on his arm and Melissa saw black veins travel up her arm. “We can drain pain.” 

Stiles waved his hand over his cut and it stitched back together. “It worked.” He smiled at Peter.

“I never doubted it, sweetheart. Good job,” he praised his mate.

Melissa sat back and hummed. 

“Is this why Isaac feels better after you visit him. Do you do that,” she waved at Cora. 

The younger woman nodded. “Yes. I always wear long sleeves so I can hide it. Stiles runes are helping out too.”

“Runes,” she turned to the other boy.

“Yep, I’ve got magic,” he said nonchalantly. “My doodles are actually runes to help with healing and protection.”

Melissa hummed and nodded.

“Anyways Melissa, we as wolves can detect lies. So what really happened to Mr Lahey. It’s safe within these walls. This room is soundproof. What happens in here stays in here,” Talia steered the conversation back on track.

Melissa sat quiet for a few minutes. Everyone was patiently waiting.

“Well, Peter has connections,” she arched her brows at him. “Don’t deny it. I know the coroner too. Now I know about you being werewolves, I guess you have connections everywhere.”

Peter shrugged.

“Well, I have some too. I’m an excellent nurse and I make sure I am friendly with everyone. You never know when you’ll need to rely on someone,” Melissa crossed her legs.

“I’m sure you are aware about Isaac’s nightmares,” she continued. 

Everyone did.

“Well, I simply couldn’t let that man stay alive. I tried to say justice is important. He’ll spend the rest of his life in jail. But my poor boy, he is terrified. What if he escapes and comes after him? I can’t let that threat hang over my boy. He’s been through so much,” Melissa's voice was hard.

Her heartbeat was steady. Truthful.

“It was easy in the end. I waited for the boys to fall asleep and I snuck out to the hospital one night. As you know we work on a skeleton crew at night. I waited for someone to leave for a smoke break and snuck into the door.”

The others nodded. The hospital was always short-staffed. Turn-over was horrible. Melissa worked many extra hours to help cover openings. 

“I didn’t even have to use my badge. I was dressed in a black hoodie. I made sure not to show my face. I knew he had guards but I knew they’d be snoozing. I already had the syringe of what I needed. I walked right into his room, and I added it to his saline. It took only a few minutes before I left.”

Melissa’s eyes were ice cold. Fierce. Anger. “I wasn’t sure until the next morning that it worked. I was afraid about them finding the drugs in his system, but then I saw Peter at the hospital talking to the coroner and I knew, everything would be okay. I wasn’t sure why but I felt relief.”

“Well good riddance, I say,” Stiles chipped in. “I wanted him to suffer as he made Isaac, but I won’t miss him.”

The other adults looked upon the friend with new eyes. 

“Told you she did it,” Cora smirked. “I’m impressed by how you did it. Good job.”

Melissa tilted her head and hesitantly said thank you. 

Claudia and Talia agreed that they might have done the same thing for their children. They all were in agreement that the man won’t be missed.

“I’m surprised you’d go that far for you son,” Talia added. “But, he wasn’t the same man there at the end.”

“He was a miserable man. Not the same when Camden was alive and his wife,” Claudia said after a few. “If I’d known… about Isaac’s home life, we’d have gone in sooner.”

“He was good at hiding it,” Cora stated.

“Well, he won’t suffer any longer. I’m going to smother that boy with love he deserves,” Melissa stated. 

They talked for a while more and Melissa had made the connection about Kate and the Hale pack. She learned about hunters and other threats. 

By the end she thanked them for bringing her into the fold. So many things made more sense now.

Peter offered to go pick up her boys but she turned him down. “Thanks, but I promised Isaac we could go to the diner for dinner. It was his choice.”

Melissa promised she wouldn’t tell a soul about werewolves, but she’d want her questions. 

“You don’t think we’re monsters do you,” Cora asked as she walked Melissa to her car with Stiles.

“Oh Sweetheart,” Melissa hugged the younger girl, “I’d never could. You know I love you guys as if you’re my own,” she opened her arm to bring in Stiles too.

“Even if we are more than human,” Stiles whispered.

“Even so. Yes, Peter scared the shiiii---- poo out of me but I understand. I’ve lived among the wolves for years. So many things make more sense now. But, well it makes me feel safer knowing you guys have me and my family’s back. Thank you for including me with the truth.”

The duo hugged Mama Mel and waved goodbye as she drove away.

Their pack has grown by one more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one thought about mama justice and what lengths she'd go.  
> I felt like Melissa is a loyal and fierce. Unlike Scott, she sees more than the average eye. 
> 
> What did you think? Surprised? Justice or not?

**Author's Note:**

> Melissa is a smart and fierce mama bear...


End file.
